


Truth and Confessions

by HardsteadEMS



Category: Justified
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29035152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardsteadEMS/pseuds/HardsteadEMS
Summary: Hardstead finds herself in a predicament that ties back to her days in Baghdad, Iraq.
Relationships: Raylan Givens/Original Female Character





	Truth and Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy <3

Israel, a place the team never thought of being. 

“Soviets have had some success on the use of Pure Ethanol, but I’ve found my own mixture works better.” MacReddy explained as he pulled some of the mixture with a slight tint of yellow through a needle into the syringe. “A mixture of sodium Pentothal and several other agents I have found…” 

Liz didn’t look amused at MacReddy, taking the mixture in the syringe that was injected into her arm. She was bound to a chair dripping sweat from the heat, cracked lips, a few small lacerations on her face along with a black eye. Her skin was dirty, hair a mess, and clothing stained. 

“...Effective,” MacReddy kicked the unconscious man on the floor. “In extracting the truth. It will not take long for it to start working.” 

Liz took a deep breath before glancing at MacReddy, “You’re going to be dead soon, you know. Truth or not. I tell ya, I think this stuff’s working already.”

MacReddy grabbed a chair and sat down in front of her, placing his foot on the edge of hers between her legs. “You know, I… I have studied America. Carefully. I believe in knowing my enemy.” 

“I believe a man is as big as what he’s seeking. I believe you’re a big man, Mr. MacReddy.” Liz replied. 

“My name is Saleem Ulman. You tell me who you are.” Saleem finally revealed his identity. 

Liz looked away smirking, twitching her nose before looking back at him, “I’m Deputy Marshal Elizabeth Hardstead of the United States Marshal Service.”

“You know, a few months ago, I had, uh, not even heard of the Marshal service.” Saleem pulled out her Marshal badge. “The news from Baghdad spread of the killing of their leader. In which you pulled the trigger.” Saleem looked at her badge before tossing it to the ground. “That will not happen again. Now please, tell me, what is your mission?”

She looked up at the ceiling with a grin on her face glaring at the light, it’s appearance blurring as the mixture took effect. “We’re… we’re tasked with pursuing crimes that involve the Marshal Service or it’s U.S. soil and it’s cases.” Liz tried to hold back the information, her vision going funky. “And our duties are expansive. Federal fugitives, witness protection, espionage. Our team consists of a gang of five. My partner is Raylan Givens. Harlan boy, stubborn, strong, hard looking. Together we think of things others don’t. Our Boss is the brains of the team, Chief Deputy Art Mullen. Caught many fugitives over the span of 20 plus years. My other partner, she’s good. Deputy Rachel Brooks, smart, quick, and has a good head on her shoulders.”

“And the fifth member of your team?” Saleem asked. 

Liz chuckled and shook her head, “Do you really want to know?” 

Saleem stared at her, waiting for the mixture to kick in again. 

“Iraq, Afghan veteran, good with weapons. Deputy Tim Gutterson, he can’t shoot a basketball, his handwriting is barely legible, but he doesn’t miss.” Liz explained. 

“That’s quite a team you’ve got there Hardstead, but you’re responsible for the deaths of my men that were secretly over there in Baghdad with Ali.” Saleem informed her. 

“Oh, geez. Well, all I can say is, if I killed them, they must have been bad guys.” Liz bluntly told him. 

Saleem got up from his chair, swung and smacked Liz across the face as her head snapped to the right. “They were martyrs for the cause! So your team is here, then what, to finish the job? To shut down my organization?” Saleem was in her face. 

“Say, can I get a glass of whiskey or something?” Liz asked him, teasing. 

Saleem grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, getting closer to her face. “Is your team here to finish the job?!” 

Liz just chuckled and smiled as she looked straight into his eyes, “Not only are you wrong, but you’re wrong at the top of your voice.”

“What does that mean, huh?” Saleem asked, not amused. 

“Can you imagine Nicholson in Bad Day at Black Rock? I would have liked to see that.” Liz teased him more. 

He grabbed her face tightly, “Listen to me, where is the rest of your team?” 

“I don’t know. I don’t care about your team. I don’t care about my team.” Liz told Saleem. 

Saleem chuckled, grinning a bit before letting go of her face and standing straight up. “Okay. You were driving in the desert without backup. So what are you doing here?” 

“Well, Saleem, there’s only one force on Earth that can short-circuit a man’s better instincts, put fire in his veins and makes him dive headlong into danger with no regard for his own well-being.” Liz looked at him, “Vengeance, Saleem. I’m here to kill ya.” 

Saleem walked towards the window that was behind her, “Vendetta. I was good friends with Ali. He told me a lot about you, your drive, your moves, your perseverance, your strength and weaknesses, everything.” Saleem then returned to his seat in front of her. 

“He did? I heard I was his favorite back when I was his prisoner.” Liz nodded, amused. 

“I watched the recordings, and still have them. Tell me, why did you pick me as a target of your bloodlust?” Saleem asked. 

“I didn’t pick you, you picked me remember? I was the one who went missing, I’m the one tied to his chair.” Liz glared at him. 

“Those 2 marshals, Danny and Rebecca. I had to dispose of their corpses after you left them behind. Poor Rebecca, she wasn’t dead yet. I had to put her out of her misery,” Saleem circled Liz. “She cried for you, scared, vulnerable, like a puppy who has been left on the street by their owner.” 

Liz stared at the wall, remembering them and that day. 

“You let them die, you left them.” Saleem spoke into her ear before watching her eyes gloss over. “I’ve always been fascinated by simple cause and effect reactions-- what can be done to the human body just by adding or subtracting. My own personal drug of choice since my college days, is caffeine. Keeps me sharp, alert.” Saleem took a drink from his canteen. “You are probably feeling clarity, an impulse to talk without censor. It’s a chemical process taking place in your brain. Now,” Saleem got close to her face. “I understand your instinct to resist but in actuality, you are speeding the release of adrenaline, which only serves as a catalyst.” 

Liz stopped resisting and looked at him. 

“That’s better. It’s less painful that way.” Saleem closed his canteen, and sat it down on the ground. “You come halfway across the world, to kill me? That’s insane.   


“I’m insane? You kill indiscriminately.” Liz spat. 

“Wars are measured in body counts. There is no need to kill one person to change the world.” Saleem praised himself. 

“You’re wrong, many lives would be saved, soldiers and others getting to go home to their families. Saleem you need to rethink your plan, because it’s not working.” Liz hissed. 

Saleem stared at her before storming towards the door, knowing Liz got the upper hand in that conversation. Soon he returned, and without a word he slammed the butt of his pistol across her face, then put the barrel right up against the right side of her temple. 

“Word is spreading around town of a missing Marshal! Concern that the U.S. forces might mobilize! You will tell me the identities and locations of all operatives in the area or you’ll go the way Rebecca did as she screamed your name.” Saleem threatened Liz before hearing commotion outside, backing away from her. 

“What’s the commotion?” Liz asked. 

“We’re moving out,” Saleem spat with a knife in his hand. 

“Oh, well, that’s good. I was kind of getting tired of this place.” Liz replied. 

“We’re not taking prisoners.” Saleem looked out the window. 

“Well, then it was nice talking to you-” Liz was cut off by her head behind yanked back and a knife to her throat. 

“No, we’re not done yet.” Saleem threatened. 

“I’ve told you about the team, but I didn’t tell you about me. The part I play.” Liz looked at him, feeling the sharp tip against her skin. 

“Which is?” Saleem asked. 

“I’m the wild card. I’m the one who looks at reality in front of her and refuses to accept it. Like, right now I should be terrified, right? But I’m not……. You have 30 seconds to live, Saleem.” Liz smirks. 

Saleem chuckles, “You’re still bound. You’re lying.” 

“I didn’t tell you that Gutterson was a sniper,” Liz told him. 

Suddenly, the window breaks and Saleem goes down from a bullet to the head. 

“Go.” Gutterson looked up from the scope on his rifle. 

Teams rushed in, taking out the others. Liz just waited as the door was wide open, she saw one of Saleem’s men get shot down before a figure stood at the end of the hall. It was recognizable, the shadow of cowboy boots, the tall male figure walking towards her. 

Liz just grinned as Raylan entered the room and pulled out a knife to cut her bindings, “Went perfectly as planned.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Raylan finished cutting her bindings and took one of her arms and draped it over his shoulder. “Let’s go home.” 

“You’re a tough son of a bitch, you know that Hardstead?” Art greeted her as they pulled up to the base. 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to pull that off ever again.” Liz replied, her arm returning to Raylan’s shoulder as he helped her inside. 

Her team surrounded her as she was getting treated. 

“I’m sorry, I tried to hold back the info, he knew about Baghdad and everything that went down there. Including Danny and Rebecca.” Liz apologized, not making eye contact with Art or the others. 

“You don’t have to apologize, Liz… It wasn’t your fault,” Art assured her as the medic finished and left. “We leave to head back home in the morning.” 

Art, Gutterson and Rachel left, but Raylan stayed with her. He had a clean change of clothes, some water and food. 

“How are you feeling?” Raylan asked as he sat the folded clothing on the cot along with the food and water. 

Liz looked at the light, its appearance still blurry but not as bad. “Weird, that mixture Saleem gave me is still there… It’s hard to think straight.” 

Raylan sat down next to her, “You know… I was worried about you while we had to wait.” 

Liz looked to him, “Raylan worried? That’s new.” 

“I didn’t know what could have happened to you Liz. Gutterson was talking to us as he watched through his scope, when he told us what was happening.” Raylan explained, “I was relieved when we got the signal to move in and I saw you in the chair.” 

“Thank you, and when I said that I didn’t care about my team that was a lie. You guys are like family, but you were different. Art is like a father, Rachel is like a sister, and Gutterson is like a brother. You are like….” Liz looked up at the ceiling. She had feelings for Raylan, but never told anyone. The mixture was messing with her mind a bit. 

“I’m what?” Raylan asked, looking at her. 

“You are someone who I can’t live without. I like you, Raylan.” Liz confessed, glancing at him. 

Raylan was silent, he looked down grabbing her hand before looking back up with a smile. “I like you too, Liz.” 

Raylan motioned Liz to rest her head on his shoulder, he felt the weight and smiled softly as she was soon asleep against his shoulder. 


End file.
